The Clock is Ticking
by Sonya Alexander
Summary: When a friend of Gibbs' child goes missing, it hits Kate hard and so close to home that she can barely keep it together. But who picks up the pieces? Someone neither of them are expecting.  Rated M because I might go a different direction with this.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**** Hey guys! So I'm back from my little writing hiatus and here with my new story, The Clock is Ticking. Thank you to all of those who commented on my previous story, and I hope you enjoy this one just as much as the last one! :) P.S...like most of my work, this may get off to a slow start. **_

**Chapter 1**

Kate, Gibbs, and McGee had been in the office since 7:00 AM, and Tony was still nowhere to be found. But of course he was late. DiNozzo was just about always late. No doubt he was out chasing some skirt, (a skirt probably about 15 years younger than him). Tony would be in soon, telling the story of how in love he was…again.

"Where the hell is DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked, directed toward the other two agents.

"Probably in love…once again." Kate said sarcastically, keeping her eyes locked on the computer screen.

"How old do you think this one is?" McGee chuckled.

"Not as old as he is."

Even Gibbs smiled at the conversation. He was pissed that DiNozzo was late, again, but there was no use in staying angry the whole time; plus he had to save some anger for when Tony finally showed up. Kate stood up and handed Gibbs a folder just the elevator bell rang.

Tony DiNozzo dashed into the bullpen, quickly throwing his stuff behind the desk and ran up to his boss'.

"Sorry I'm late boss!" Tony said quickly. "But if you had seen the girl you would understand why—."

The agent was cut off by a harsh smack to the back of the head. "Thank you, boss." He finished.

"I don't really care what she looked like DiNozzo. Trust me, I've had three ex-wives, looks can be deceiving." Gibbs said sternly. "Don't be late again. Next time, I won't give you a chance to explain."

"Right boss. Sorry boss!" Tony yelled as Gibbs exited the bull pen. He turned back to McGee and Kate who was looking over McGee's shoulder at his computer screen. "Probie! You want to know what she looked like right?"

"Not particularly, DiNozzo." McGee rolled his eyes and Kate chuckled. Tony glared at him before moving on to Kate.

"How 'bout you Kate!" Tony smirked again as he awaited the answer. Kate straightened and looked at him annoyed.

"Trust me Tony. You don't want to tell me." Kate said.

"Aw! Come on Kate!" Tony insisted.

"Fine, DiNozzo. How old was this one?" Tony scrunched his face and looked up before looking back at Kate.

"You were right…I don't want to tell you." Tony said and turned away, heading for his desk. Kate and McGee laughed.

"You don't even know her name, do you?" McGee asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I do Mc-20 Questions. It's uh-it's…"

"Agent Gibbs!" Someone hollered, getting off the elevator. Kate's head shot up, followed by Tony and McGee's. A tall and thin brunette woman entered the bull pen with a man in Navy uniform holding onto her. The woman was seemingly crying and the man was holding her protectively. "Can someone help us find Agent Gibbs?" At that moment, the very subject of their conversation had rushed into the bullpen.

"Elizabeth. Mark. What happened?" Gibbs said, looking from the woman to the man.

"It's Amy!" The woman, Elizabeth, cried out.

"She's been kidnapped." Mark said.

_**Alright, so I never realize how short these chapters really are until I upload. Sorry. I hate short chapters too. But, please review anyway! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**** Again, sorry for the short chapter. I actually thought this one was much longer. Anyways, I will be updating soon so please don't leave me! :) **_

**Chapter 2**

Five minutes later, Elizabeth and Mark had settled in the upstairs interview room. Elizabeth had been in tears the entire conversation, so Gibbs thought it best to give the couple a minute alone. While they were gone, Gibbs filled the team in on the situation.

"Elizabeth and Mark Collins." Gibbs stated as the team huddled around his desk. "Mark is an old buddy of mine. His 12 year old daughter, Amy has gone missing. They believed she has been kidnapped." He finished. They were all quiet for a moment.

"Do they have any reason to believe that she was kidnapped?" Kate asked.

"Well, Kate, she was a happy girl from a pretty wealthy family. No abnormal behavior lately in school or at home, and plus, her backpack was found a block away from her home." Gibbs responded.

"So, the girl walked home from school on her own?" McGee chimed in.

"Seems that way." Gibbs said. "But I have to go confirm what happened. DiNozzo, I want you and Kate to—"

"Check out the girl's school! Got it boss!" Tony said rushing to get his gear and Kate followed.

"McGee, with me!" He hollered as the younger agent followed and the other duo headed for the elevator.

"How'd you know what Gibbs was going to tell us to do?" Kate asked her partner.

"Always anticipate, Kate!" Tony said enthusiastically as the two stepped into the elevator. After the doors opened and closed, Kate spoke again.

"You remember the keys, Mr. Anticipate?" At that moment Tony's smile dropped and he started frantically checking his pockets. Kate laughed at his frantic searching.

* * *

><p>Back upstairs, Gibbs and McGee sat in the interview room with Mark and Elizabeth Collins, discussing the events leading up to their daughter's alleged kidnapping.<p>

"The school isn't that far from our home! Maybe, a block and a half away." Elizabeth Collins said through her tears. "She begged me to let her walk home by herself, and I—I didn't see any harm in it!" After that the woman burst into tears again. Gibbs hastily took tissues from the box on the table and handed them to her. Elizabeth gratefully accepted as Mark patted her arm reassuringly.

"Mrs. Collins," Gibbs said, unexpectedly gently, "you need to calm down, alright. We are going to find your daughter, but you need to tell us anything you think may be helpful." The woman sniffed and nodded, wiping away her tears once again.

"I'm sorry." She said. "What else do you need to know?"

"Where were you when your daughter was taken?" McGee asked her.

"Why do you need to know where my wife was?" Mark interrupted. "You don't honestly suspect her of kidnapping her own daughter?"

"Well, Petty Officer Collins, it is just standard procedure. We will also need to know where you were, but I am sure everything will check out." After McGee explained everything, Mark Collins backed off a bit.

"I was at the market. When I got back, Amy wasn't there. So I called the school to make sure she didn't stay after or anything and she wasn't there either. Mark rushed home after I informed him. On the way, he saw her backpack on the side of the street."

"I, uh, I picked it up with a cloth, just in case of fingerprints or anything, and I put it in my car. It's still there actually. I picked up my wife after that and we came straight here." Mark Collins paused for a moment before picking up the conversation again. "My daughter would not run away Agent Gibbs. Someone had to have taken her."

"You have to find her." Elizabeth chimed in. Gibbs looked the women in the eyes before responding.

"I promise you, I will."

* * *

><p>Kate and Tony ended up getting to Amy Collins' school later than they had originally expected. Probably because Tony had to wait for the elevator to reach the parking garage before going back up to the squad room to grab the keys to their car.<p>

Tony drove twice as fast so the pair would make good time. Of course the car ride consisted of the usual bickering and joking between Kate and Tony, and by the time they reached the school, various cruel nicknames had been thrown as well as a few playful punches. So, it was basically a normal Thursday.

Once inside the school, the two agents quickly located the principal and asked the usual routine questions.

"Had Amy been acting strangely or different at all lately?" Kate asked Mrs. Hayes, the principal of Austin Prep.

"Uh…not that I noticed, but you'll have to ask her teacher, Ms. Winters." The elderly woman said, sitting down behind her desk.

"Did you ever notice anyone bothering her?" Tony asked as he looked through some pictures on a shelf.

"No. Everyone loved Amy. Teachers and students. I can't believe this happened."

"Thank you for your time." Kate said with a small smile. She exited the room, Tony following close behind. Both knew that if they returned to NCIS with no useful information, Gibbs would have both their asses.

"She was a lot of help." Tony said as they headed for the second floor, Ms. Winters' classroom.

"Oh, lay of DiNozzo. She's the girl's principal, not her social worker. She told us everything she knew." Kate said, defending Mrs. Hayes.

"Well, apparently she isn't the very... "hands on" type." Tony said, smirking. Kate looked at him in disgust.

"Ugh, seriously Tony?" She said jamming her elbow into his ribs." He let out a squeal of pain before clutching his abdomen.

"What!"

"Does everything have to turn into some sexual joke?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well it isn't _my_ fault you're such a purist Kate."

"Ugh. You're so juvenile." With that, Kate entered the classroom of Amy's teacher. "Mrs. Winters?" Kate asked flashing her badge.

"This is about Amy right? Mrs. Hayes called me." The attractive brunette answered, looking up at the two. "How may I help you Agent…"

"DiNozzo." Tony said, pushing past Kate and obviously noticing the woman's looks. Kate rolled her eyes. "But you can call me Tony." He said, flashing that charming smile of his.

"What can you tell us about Amy Collins?" Kate asked, interrupting their little Pow-wow.

"Oh, uh…she was my star student. Such a nice girl. This is my first year teaching, and most kids try to take advantage of that, but not Amy. She sort of told me the way things worked around here. I can't believe she's been kidnapped. It's just so awful." Her eyes were genuinely solemn and worried.

"Did she come to you with any problems? Saying anyone bothered her?" Tony asked, yet again.

"No. Never. Although…" Julia Winters trailed off. Tony glanced at Kate before picking up the conversation again.

"Although what Julia?"

"Well, a few weeks ago, I saw a man in the hallway talking to her. She looked uncomfortable. He touched her hair and that's when the bells went off. I asked Amy about it, but she said it was nothing. So, I sort of forgot about it."

"Who was it?"

"I-I didn't recognize him. He was wearing a blue uniform…he must've been with the plumbing company fixing the water heater."

"Is that all you can tell us?" Kate asked.

"I wish I had more to say, but I don't. I do hope you find her though. She's such a great kid." Julia said.

"Thank you Julia." Tony said as he walked out the door, this time Kate following him.

"She should've reported that, or something. Honestly, if bells went off wouldn't that tell you that something's not right?"

"Come on Kate, it's her first year as a teacher. I'm sure she had no idea what to do. At least she asked the kid about it." Tony said, getting really defensive over the woman whom he had just met.

"We both know that you are only defending her because you think she is attractive."

"Well, maybe so, but I'm not about to crucify her for making a mistake. You could be a little more forgiving Kate."

"That _mistake_ Tony could have caused Amy Collins her life." Kate said as she slammed out the front door of the school and stormed toward the car. Tony could already tell it wouldn't be a pleasant ride back to headquarters.

_**Yeah, it'll get better. REVIEW! **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**** Alright, so I've been giving this story more attention lately. I really hope it mostly makes sense because I am really trying here. Please review if there's anything that you don't understand or that doesn't make sense. So, enjoy!:) **_

**Chapter 3**

Gibbs ventured to Abby's lab a half an hour later seeking any useful that would help him to find Amy Collins. Abby was always good with giving him the information he needed, very consistent. He just hoped that today wasn't any different. The elevator bell sounded and Gibbs stepped off, Caf-Pow in hand and ready to attain as much information as he could.

"Abbs!" He hollered stepping into the lab. The hollering had become a common occurrence seeing as how Abby was one to blast her music particularly loudly. "Abbs!"

The Goth jumped at the sudden shout and spun around. Quickly noticing her boss she spun back around and lowered the music. The whole ordeal had basically become a routine between the two.

"Gibbs!" Abby squealed. Then held up her hands. "I don't exactly have results for you yet, but I will." She turned and grabbed the evidence bag concealing Amy Collins' forgotten backpack. "There were fingerprints on the handle, there weren't a lot of points but I'm running it now; if they're in the system we should definitely get a—" Her thought was cut off but the sudden beeping coming from her computer, indicating that the fingerprint sample had sprung a match. "—match." She finished, rushing to her computer screen to receive the data. "Uh-oh."

"Abbs…you know I hate 'uh-ohs.'" Gibbs said sternly, leaning over her shoulder to look toward the computer screen.

"Fingerprints match a convicted felon…Charles Dashel. Paroled 3 weeks ago after serving 15 years for kidnapping another girl in North Carolina." Abby's eyes scrolled over the words in front of her, trying to ascertain as much information as possible. "Looks like he was suspected kidnapping and murdering 4 other girls, but jury only convicted on the single kidnapping charge."

"How did that happen? The same m.o. creates a chain. Proof on one is good enough for others if the evidence is substantial."

"Well that's mostly true…except if one link breaks the whole chain falls apart." Abby said scrolling through the information on the computer. "Dashel had an alibi for one of the murders. Louisa Tyler, the girl from Florida…was murdered in South Carolina. The one from North Carolina was kidnapped within weeks of Louisa's murder. But somehow she escaped before they left the state."

"She identify him?"Gibbs guessed and received a nod from Abby. "See what else you can find out about him Abs. And about his crimes. Call me if you find anything."

"Yes sir." Abby said, giving a wave of mock salute.

"Don't call me sir!" Gibbs yelled exiting the lab as the volume of the music increased once more.

* * *

><p>25 minutes later, Kate and Tony sat silently in the car, driving back from their trip to Amy Collins' school. To Tony's dismay, the entire ride had been silent. Kate's eyes never left her palm pilot screen. Usually one of Kate and Tony's fights would blow over in 15 minutes, but there were something different about this one. Kate had gotten way too defensive, or way more than usual. Tony had spent the past 25 minutes trying to think of what to say to her. Finally, he just sucked up and sighed.<p>

"Kate, look I'm sorry okay? I was just being stupid."

"Oh, I'm used to that." She said rolling her eyes. Tony inhaled I disbelief.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who got all emotional and went crazy over nothing!" He shot back. Kate shot an angry glance at him as they pulled into the NCIS parking garage.

"You know what Tony, yeah maybe it was a little emotional, but maybe that's because there is a little girl out there missing and you are hitting on her teacher instead of trying to find her!" She nearly ripped his head off. Then she opened the door and slammed it, walking off in a huff. Tony looked through the window in astonishment. He watched as Kate moved farther and farther away, and he couldn't put together what had just happened. Whatever it was, there was a lot more going on than just what Tony had contributed.

* * *

><p>Kate was back up to the bullpen before Tony could even turn off the ignition. Gibbs and McGee were back at their desks trying to trace Charles Dashel. They had contacted his parole officer to find out he had not been home in days. Nothing in Dashel's apartment was suspicious or related to Amy Collins in any way; they had hit a dead end, but Abby was still processing information and had not yet called Gibbs back.<p>

"What you find out?" Gibbs asked Kate as she set her gun in the desk drawer and slammed it closed.

"Well, we spoke to Amy's principal, she wasn't much help. Basically told us that Amy was a good student, never got in trouble, but other than that she didn't know much. Her teacher however was a little more useful." At that moment Tony walked into the bullpen exchanging a glance with Kate before mimicking the way she put away her weapon. "Apparently her teacher had witnessed someone bothering Amy, someone from the plumbing company that had been working at the school." She pulled out her palm pilot. "I tracked down the company and they emailed me their roster." Gibbs stood up and walked behind Kate to look over her shoulder at the small screen in her hands.

"Is there a Charles Dashel on the list?" Kate scrolled through quickly running over the names.

"No…..but, there is a _Louis_ Dashel."

"You know something we don't boss?" Tony asked as he moved toward the pair.

"McGee can fill you in on the way. We're going to pay Louis Dashel a visit."

_**These chapters look way longer on word! UGH! Well, review please! :) **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**** I keep saying this and I'm gonna stop after this...sorry the chapters are so short. I will be updating more now though. Will hopefully have another chapter or 2 up by tomorrow or Sunday at the latest. **_

**Chapter 4**

"Louis Dashel!" Gibbs yelled out as the four agents walked toward the desk at Anderson's plumbing.

"Can I help you?" The man behind the counter responded as he looked up from the paperwork he was doing.

"NCIS." He flashed his badge before continuing. "We need to ask you a few questions about your brother, Charles Dashel?" Louis tensed up at the mention of his brother's name.

"Wha-what about him?"

"Did you work at Austin Prep. School a few weeks back?" Tony jumped in to ask.

"I did. What's this have to do with my brother?" Louis questioned.

"Have you ever let your brother work a shift for you?" Kate chimed in.

"No of course not. Now I refuse to answer any more questions until you tell me why you are investigating me."

"This little girl," Gibbs said as he held up a picture of Amy Collins, "has been kidnapped. Now a man in a plumbing uniform, much like the one you are wearing now, was seen bothering her. That man matches your brother's description. So I'm going to ask you again, and I would think long and hard about the answer. Has you brother ever covered a shift for you?" Louis Dashel looked around for a second before sighing and scratching his head.

"Fine. Yeah, he covered one shift for me. But it was an emergency and I didn't want to lose a day's pay. But there's no way Charlie kidnapped that girl. He's done his time."

"Apparently not enough." Kate snapped at him receiving a glare from Louis.

"You listen here-" Louis raised his finger and pointed at Kate before Tony cut him off.

"No, you listen Travis Bickle. Your brother isn't supposed to be near children and you practically gave him a free pass. So if you don't tell us where he is, you will be behind bars before you can say anytime, anywhere." Louis backed off before turning to Tony.

"I have no idea where the hell he is ok? I haven't seen him since last week. Alright? I'm telling the truth."

"Yeah. I'm sure that's a common occurrence with you." Kate fished again. But this time Gibbs was the one to intervene.

"Don't be hard to find." He looked directly at Louis before turning around and exiting the building. Tony, Kate, and McGee all looked slightly surprised at the exit.

"You're just going to let him off like that?" McGee asked once outside.

"I said I wouldn't put him behind bars McGee. I never said anything about his supervisor." McGee made an expression of understanding as Gibbs' phone rang.

"Gibbs."

"Hey Gibbs! I just found a huge break!" Abby yelled into the phone.

"No need to yell Abs. What is it?"

"The murders and the kidnappings have a pattern. Listen! The first girl was kidnapped in Texas and murdered in Alabama. The second was kidnapped in Tennessee and murdered in Texas. The third girl was kidnapped in South Carolina and murdered in Tennessee. And Louisa, who was the fourth, was kidnapped in Florida and murdered in South Carolina as you know. See the pattern?"

"Yeah. Wherever his previous kidnapping spot was becomes his new murder spot the next time. Never heard of that one before."

"Well I haven't either, but I started thinking. His fifth victim was the one that got away. So, what if he—"

"Wanted to carryout his pattern by going to Florida." Gibbs sighed. "Great work Abbs. Put a Caf Pow on my tab." He flipped the phone shut and turned to the three awaiting agents. "Kate! Tony! Pack your bags. You're going to Florida."

**_Review my loyal subjects! (I LOVE SUGGESTIONS!:)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**** So, this chapter isn't a super important scene, but it might matter later. It also is a short chapter, but I am currently working on chapter 6 and that will hopefully be up tomorrow, sunday at the latest. Please don't give up on my story! :) Love all of my readers! **_

**Chapter 5**

Kate couldn't believe what she had just heard. In fact, she had to double check just incase she had a lapse in her hearing.

"Excuse me?" She asked gesturing with her head toward Gibbs.

"I said to pack your bags. Abby just got a lead and it leads to Florida." Gibbs said walking to his side of the car.

"Okay, but me and _Tony_? No way." The way she said his name was so full of disgust that Tony's stomach churned. Whatever he had done was enough for Kate to not want to be around him.

"I don't believe I asked for your opinion Kate. This is not a debate."

"But I can't-"

"Enough. Either pack your bags or pack your desk. The choice is yours." Gibbs ducked his head as he stepped into the car. Tony was still waiting outside the passenger side while Kate was on the opposite side of the car. McGee looked at both of them before following Gibbs. Tony looked at Kate for a minute as to say _It won't be that bad. _But she just shook her head and rolled her eyes. Her grimace disappeared behind the car as Kate sat down. Tony sighed and barely made it into the car before Gibbs took off.

The car ride back to base seemed ten times longer than it actually was. No one spoke the entire time. Kate's eyes were glued to her palm pilot and Tony watched out the window. McGee was totally oblivious to what was going on. He had no knowledge of Tony and Kate's fighting or the reason why she was so against going to Florida. Gibbs however didn't really care about the fighting between his team members. As long as it didn't affect anybody's work, it didn't concern him.

The schedule flight time gave Tony and Kate two hours to pack their bags and get to the airport. Abby, now accompanied by McGee, was still doing research to try and find where in Florida Charles Dashel was. A bolo had been put out on him and an amber alert on Amy Collins, but so far nothing had popped. The girl's parents were calling every hour (sometimes half hour) for a status update. Now, Kate and Tony sat on a plane, silently once again. The tension was building up and sooner or later they would have to talk. Tony fidgeted looking over at Kate periodically. She obviously noticed, but decided to ignore him some more. Finally Tony made the first more, yet again, putting down his magazine.

"Kate, I can't take this anymore. Can we please just forget about what happened earlier?" He was desperate for some conversation, and he honestly missed the banter between them. She sighed.

"Yeah DiNozzo. You're right. It was stupid and we should just forget about it." She gave him a soft smile trying to lift the long lasting tension.

"Oh thank God!" Tony said with a sigh of relief. "I got to tell you I was going crazy here."

"I knew you would be lost without me." She flipped her hair in a 'full of herself' type way. Tony chuckled.

"And without me you would be without a handsome, comical breath of fresh air." Kate laughed along, feeling relieved that the tension had finally risen.

"What time did their flight get in McGee?" Gibbs questioned.

"Uh—25 minutes ago."

"They were supposed to call as soon as they landed. I knew it was a bad idea sending those two alone. If I don't hear from them in 5 minutes I will…"

"Maybe they went to the hotel first. You know, wanted to check in?"

"If they know what's good for them they'll check in with me first." At that moment, as if on cue, the phone at Gibbs' desk rang and he picked it up within seconds. "Gibbs."

"_Hey Boss! Having a good time being alone with the Probie?" _Tony shouted into the phone causing Gibbs' hand holding the phone to jerk back.

"Damn it, DiNozzo. Stop shouting." He barked.

"_Sorry boss! Speaker phone. Kate's on the line too. And let me tell you Florida is gorgeous, not to mention the women. And the hotel—" _

"Kate, head slap him for me will you?" The command was followed by a quick _smack_ and a grunt. On a better day, Gibbs would've even smirked. There was a click and some more unidentified sounds before a voice came through again.

"_Sorry Gibbs. Sometimes he doesn't know when to shut up."_ It was Kate on the other end this time, giving Gibbs an ounce of relief. _"We would've checked in earlier, but_ somebody _just had to go and take a picture in front of the Disney theme park sign." _There were sounds of muffled voices shouting in the background, and Gibbs' patience was growing smaller. He huffed.

"Will you two stop fighting like teenagers? One more word and I am hauling both your asses back to D.C.!" The noise on the other end of the line stopped abruptly and he continued. "Now, I don't care about some sign. You two are not their on vacation and you are not there to fool around. I'll be expecting an update for you every hour. And you don't even want me to tell what will happen if you don't. Got that?"

"_Yes Gibbs._" The two agents said almost in unison. With that, the line went dead and both parties shut their phones.

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	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note:**** A day late, but there is a lot more to come. There isn't a lot in this chapter BUT I uploaded it so you guys could have another chapter! So we'll be getting to what's wrong with Kate and Tate's relationship! So be patient. It will get good! :) And please review! **_

**Chapter 6**

Back at their hotel room, Kate and Tony breathed a sigh of relief when they finally flipped the phone shut. But their relief didn't last long. Soon, the same old Tony and Kate dynamic arrived.

"I can't believe you head smacked me! What was that?" Tony asked dumbfounded, rubbing his hand over the back of his head as he scowled at her.

"Oh, toughen up! I barely hit you." Rolling her eyes, she stood up from her chair and walked over to grab her bags. "Should we go up to the room? Or are you going to stay here and whine like a child?" Replying with a sneer, Tony got up and hit the elevator button before turning to Kate again.

"You are so not getting the bed with the window." With that, the elevator door rang and Tony stepped in front of Kate disallowing her to enter in front of him.

Up on the fourth floor, Kate and Tony stepped out of the elevator and started to walk down the hall. The two located room D-15 and punched the card into the scanner on the door handle. Tony opened the door finally allowing Kate to go first. He gave her a quick fake smile as she walked by him. He then walked in himself practically bumping into Kate as he closed the door. The room wasn't that big, but it was a decent size for the hotel they were staying at. Directly in front of the door was a couch and coffee table opposite a nice TV. There was also a door to the left opening to the small balcony. Then he saw it. The reason why Kate had stopped dead her tracks. The bed.

In front of the two agents stood a big queen-sized bed. Correction…_one_ big queen sized bed sat there, dauntingly. Thinking about sharing a room was bad enough for Kate, but sharing a bed? No way. She looked over at Tony at the exact moment he looked at her. He had his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. She started shaking her head.

"No way in hell, DiNozzo. There has to be some mistake. Go call the front desk!" He stood there for another moment, his expression unchanging. Kate whacked him in the stomach and he grunted. "Go!" He walked over toward the phone.

"Your loss." He whispered.

"Ugh, you are such a child." Kate said, throwing her bags on the ground as she sat on the couch. Her hands flew up to her head in exhaustion.

* * *

><p>5 minutes later Tony came back into the room with the phone. He was laughing as he walked in which confused and also worried Kate.<p>

"Alright. Yea, thanks bro."

_Bro? Bro! _Two thoughts passed through Kate's mind. Why was Tony calling the guy at the front desk bro, and who says bro anymore? Whatever the answers were, Kate was sure she wouldn't like them. Tony came over and looked her on the couch. Her expression showed curiosity, but he smiled at her. Kate sighed.

"So?" She asked finally.

"So, what?" Tony scrunched up his brow.

"So, the room Tony! Did you get us another room?" Practically yelling, she awaited her answer.

"Oh. No. None left. But get this, the guy working at the front desk was apart of the same fraternity I was in college!" The excitement at the end of his sentence was astonishing for Kate, but it was slightly expected from Tony.

"You're telling me that entire time you were on the phone, you were talking about keg stands and beer pong from your golden years?" With that Tony nodded enthusiastically. Kate rolled her eyes and stood up. "Fine…" She walked over to look at the bed. "I'll flip you for it!" Kate said as she turned back to Tony.

"Loser gets the couch?" He joined in. She shook her head, and quickly took a coin out and flipped it in the air. "Tails!" Tony yelled. Both agents were astonished at what happened when it landed.

* * *

><p>"Alright Gibbs. Got it. Bye." Kate flipped her cell phone shut and went to accompany Tony on the couch. Checking his e-mail on their laptop Tony asked about Kate's phone call with Gibbs. "He was just saying that McGee issued a BOLO for Dashel. Until there is any new information there isn't much we can do. Guess we should have had a game plan before we flew all the way down here." Tony nodded and turned back to the computer screen. "What are you working on here?" She asked leaning in toward the screen too.<p>

"The Probie has been emailing me information about Amy Collins. Just want to try and get some insight into her life, you know?"

"Anything useful?"

"Not so far. Gibbs and McGee have been quite the paparazzi though. Interviewing people left and right. Amy's grandparents, the babysitter, even the girl's best friend." Kate tensed.

"Uh...why the best friend? What did she have to say?" She asked.

"Eh, not much. I guess she, Lola Rinaldi," He was talking as he read the report on the screen. "Was with Amy Collins right before she disappeared. They walk home from school together and Lola was supposed to go over Amy's that afternoon, but she decided to go home instead. She feels it's her fault because she should've been with her. Poor kid."

Kate stood up and walked over to one of her bags.

"Yeah." She said in agreement before frantically grabbing her bag and heading toward the bathroom. Tony noticed her movements and looked a bit concerned.

"You alright?" He asked. She stopped and looked over.

"Yeah. Of course I am. I just need to use the bathroom. That's all." She dashed into the bathroom and slammed the door. He considered going after her because he didn't believe her excuse, but he advised against it.

Turning back to the screen, Tony noticed the coin they had flipped. It was stuck in the plant on the coffee. Earlier, Kate had flipped her quarter, and he had called heads. Immediately after that, the coin flipped in the air and came back toward the ground. Only instead of landing on the table as intended, the coin had fallen into the plant standing vertically. Neither side landed face up. It as stuck in the middle. The problem of the bed had not been resolved. He wondered if that had anything to do with Kate's sudden mood swing, but he thought not. It wasn't a huge deal, plus that had been at least a half an hour ago. No, something else was wrong.

As he scrolled through more of the information Tim had sent him, Tony didn't gain much new information. Although, the interview with the Collins' mailman was quite intriguing, it didn't help them solve their case any faster. It was obvious Gibbs was grasping for straws, doing anything and everything he could think of to solve the case. Suddenly, a little flashing box indicating he had an email popped up on Tony's screen. He clicked it and saw the first semi-good news he had all day.

"Kate!" He yelled. "We have a hit on the BOLO! Let's roll!"

**_Okay! Please, please, please Review! I need to know there are actually people out there reading my story. I really hope you like it. And I do take suggestions and anything else so feel free to review or PM me if you aren't comfortable with public reviews. Thanks! :) _**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:**** First order of business: I have a Twitter page...I haven't posted much yet but I plan on using it to keep you all up to date on any stories I am writing and answer questions, etc! (SonyaAlexander1 LOOK ME UP!) Alright, back to the story...thank you all so much for your reviews! Please keep me up to date on your likes and dislikes. This chapter will answer a lot of your questions and quite possibly crush some of your dreams...but it isn't over yet! I am trying to make this as accurate and true to the characters as possible, so I am sorry if it doesn't seem right to you. I am doing my best! Okay, I think that is all because I know you wanna read this...It is a pretty good-length chapters, so I hope you enjoy! :) **_

**Chapter 7 **

"Are you going to tell me where we are going? And do you think you could at least drive within 10 mph of the speed limit?" Kate was frantically trying to get herself in order because being dragged out the door did not look very good on her. But just as she stopped talking, Tony added more pressure to the gas pedal causing them to accelerate. She grasped the dash as her head flew back.

"Charles Dashel was spotted at a gas station a few miles from here. Lucky that the BOLO was on the news just as he was leaving. Otherwise the manager wouldn't have even known who he was." Dodging cars, Tony quickly answered her question.

"And he didn't try to stop him or anything!"

"Um, you mean the 22 year old gas station manager? No Kate, he didn't try to stop the convicted child kidnapper and murder. We're lucky he even called the cops. Otherwise we would have no idea where Dashel even was. Jeez, what is your deal today?" He looked over periodically as he spoke, confusion permanently setting over.

Turning to the window, Kate tensed. She pursed her lips. Thoughts ran rapidly through her mind. Kate knew she had been giving off a strange vibe; Tony was now beyond suspicion and on to concern and worry. There was only so long she could cover before Tony found out.

"Nothing. I just never understand the so called 'innocent bystanders.' My motto is, you see something and you do something. You don't wait around and _assume_ that someone else will act on it. By then it's too late…" She trailed off before she could finish her though. This was really getting weird for Tony. There wasn't a clue to why Kate was acting this way. Sure, she had gotten a little too involved in cases before, but her reactions were somehow different.

"Well, I wouldn't call the gas station manager an innocent bystander, and if he had confronted Dashel we would probably going to investigate his murder." They were getting closer to the gas station. "And please don't jump down the guy's throat. No matter what your personal feelings are, we need information from him. Okay?" She sighed.

"Yeah. Sure, I know."

* * *

><p>"Well that was a bust." Tony sighed as he headed back to the car. "I've gotten more help from a chimpanzee." Kate chuckled.<p>

"What did you expect? He saw him come in for gas, he saw him leave. There isn't much else that he can tell us. After all, he isn't any chimpanzee." She winked and ducked back into the car.

The manager hadn't been any help at all. Basically, he told them which way Dashel came from, which way he left, and how much gas he got. Dashel obviously paid in cash and wore gloves the entire time as to not leave fingerprints.

"Call Gibbs. He'll want an update on what we don't have." Tony passed the phone to Kate ho hurriedly flipped it open.

"_Gibbs._" His voice rang out as he answered the phone.

"Hey, it's Kate. We just checked out the BOLO, nothing useful. We have officers canvassing some suspected areas, but nothing has popped up."

"_That's it?" _Gibbs was harsh and crisp. He didn't leave a moment between the end of Kate's sentence and the beginning of his.

"Uh, yeah Gibbs. There isn't much else we can do right now."

"_So, is that what you would like me to tell the Collins' while they sit at home waiting for their daughter to come back home?" _

"Now that is not fair. There is no way we can…"

"_Last time I checked Kate, life wasn't fair. Hell you can ask Amy Collins. You think she is under the impression that life is fair?" _Kate hated it when people cut her off. It was probably her biggest pet peeve. But this on top of her already questionable mood pushed her off the edge.

"You know what Gibbs, yeah I know life isn't fair. You make sure of that don't you? And blaming me and Tony for someone else's actions is not only disrespectful and rude, but it is also totally uncalled for. If you don't trust me and my partner enough to handle this ourselves, then you shouldn't have sent us. Giving these ridiculous hour-on-the-hour updates is just getting in the way of us doing our jobs that you expect us to do. Now either trust us to do the job ourselves or come down here yourself and tell me I am not fit for the job. Otherwise stop with these constant interruptions and let us do our jobs!"

With that, Kate slapped the phone shut and tossed it to Tony. She was breathing heavily and trying to calm herself. Looking over at Tony she noticed the shocked expression on his face; his jaw could've hit the floor of the car. It took a minute for him to snap back to reality.

"Are you _insane!" _Tony shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? You just yelled at Gibbs who is probably filling out the paperwork to fire us both right now. Oh yeah, and thanks for always making sure to include the 'us' in your little ultimatum. I really appreciate." He rolled his eyes as he started the engine and backed out of the gas station lot. The speed of the car was so high that flew would have been a better word to use. He was peeved too.

"I am so tired of you, and Gibbs, and everyone else treating me like I am some worthless pushover. Because I am not!"

"What is the matter with you this week case because I've had enough. Ever since we started to work this case, your emotions have been all over the place. Happy, sad. Angry, even angrier. I can't keep working with you like this Kate. I just can't!"

"Maybe if my co-workers don't think I am professional enough to handle this case and watch their back, then maybe they shouldn't be my co-workers anymore!" Kate was practically screaming at the top of her lungs. If the car door windows had been open, the two agents definitely would've caught some attention.

"Well maybe you shouldn't!" Tony hollered back.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

* * *

><p>And in typical, juvenile behavior, that was the end of their conversation. Neither spoke again as they headed back to the hotel.<p>

She stormed into the hotel room, Tony right on her heels. They hadn't spoken since he last "fine" had been uttered, and more tension had built. When they had reached the hotel, Kate practically jumped out of the car and ran to the front desk. Of course, there were still no other rooms available. At this point Kate would've paid any amount just to get away from her partner. There were too many questions being asked, and Kate could not give him the answers he wanted. So instead she headed for the mini-bar in the room.

"They charge you an arm and a leg for that stuff." Tony said standing in the doorway.

"Then I'll just take yours." Kate mocked, peering up from behind the bar. She grabbed a bottle and started to walk away. The kind of liquor didn't even matter; she didn't drink much, but today seemed like a good day to start. In the back of her mind, a voice told her not to. Or maybe that was Tony.

"Come on Kate. Look, I know you're in a bad mood, but do you really think this is a good idea?" He had a soft toned voice, and he sounded genuinely concerned.

"It's none of your business DiNozzo. Just leave me alone."

"Well, that's kind of hard to do considering this is the only area in the room. If you don't count the bathroom of course." With that Kate rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. She was usually the one who teased Tony about his juvenile behavior. Now she was being childish enough for the both of them. But she had her reasons, and to her they were really good ones.

"Oh come on Kate, seriously? You are going to drink in the bathroom? Real mature! I you think I'm juvenile!" He was right out side the door. His arm was resting against the door hoping she would come out. Tony really cared about Kate, and even though they were partners there was a strong connection between them. It hurt to see her so upset and out of whack.

Sighing, he backed away from the door and sat down at the couch. His thoughts were racing. _I shouldn't._ He thought. _It wouldn't be right._ _She's my partner. She'll talk to me when she's ready…maybe._ He couldn't believe what he was thinking, or that he could do that to her. Knowing Kate, she would be offended. But he needed to know what was going on, and at the moment this was the only way.

He logged onto his computer and used his clearance to access the NCIS files. Tony hesitated. There was still time to change his mind. Tony put his palms to his face and rubbed his eyes. Then he sat up again and went back to his screen.

Personnel Files were accessible online to those with enough clearance. Finally, he convinced himself to do something very stupid and very helpful. _Special Agent Caitlyn Todd._ Reading her name made him want to turn back once more. When he tried to access her file, something surprised him. It had never happened when he previously looked at other files. And for 25 minutes he tried to figure it out, but there as no way to get around it. Tony stood up swiftly and traveled over to the bathroom door.

"Kate!" He called banging on the door. "Kate, can you come out so I can talk to you for a second?" There was some movement, and Tony swore some sniffling before footsteps hovered near the door. It clicked before creaking open; bottle in hand Kate waltzed out. Correction, _empty_ bottle. "You drank the whole thing?"

"Yup." She was at the mini-bar again finding something else to drink.

_This isn't her._ Tony thought. _She barely ever drinks. _And yet there she stood, opening up another bottle and taking a swig. Eventually, Tony just decided to spit it out.

"Why is your personnel file blocked from access?" At that moment Kate whipped around and stared at him in rage.

"What the hell were you doing look at my personnel file!" She questioned.

"_Trying._ Trying to look at. As I said, I couldn't get in, and you left me no choice. You wouldn't tell me what was wrong with you, so I had to go find out elsewhere."

"Oh stop trying to be cute." She said, walking closer toward him. "And maybe I didn't tell you because it was none of your damn business, DiNozzo!" Kate rolled her eyes and took another swig from the bottle she was holding.

"First of all Kate, it is my business; if there is something wrong with my partner, I need to know about it. And second of all, have you had anything to eat today? Because I'm going to guess no and that alcohol is going straight to your head." Kate just rolled her eyes once again. But this time Tony took the bottle from her. "Now, are you going to tell me what is up with you and this case?" She stood there shaking her head in disbelief. How could her own partner betray her like this?

"Fine Tony, you know what? If you really want to know I will tell you." She went to go sit on the couch not trusting herself to be able to stand throughout the story. "When I was 12, I had a best friend. Alana. We knew each other all through grade school, and we had just started 7th Grade. It was late September when…" She brushed the hair out of her face. "When it happened. It was just an ordinary day, you know? We were just walking home from school like we did every single day. Alana was faced away from the street, so she didn't even see the van at first. It pulled up behind her, black and shiny. No labels or logos and tinted windows. The van stopped about a foot ahead of us and a man in a ski mask jumped out. He was in all black. He ran behind Alana and he…he grabbed her." The tears were welling up in her eyes again, like they had been all week. She couldn't bear to look at Tony. "I—I tried to help her but he kept dragging her away. Even though she fought it just wasn't enough. The guy pushed me away and I hit my head hard on the sidewalk. I had rolled over just in time to see Alana being thrown into the van and it taking off." Kate couldn't see it, but Tony was shocked. He didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do. He just stood there. Kate was on the brink of tears which made Tony want to cry.

"Kate…" He whispered, but she cut him off.

"And you know what hurts the most? There were people around; others witnessed what had happened and still did _nothing._" Her voice shook as she spoke. "I prayed everyday that Alana would come home. She was in my dreams; she would be back home safe and sound and everything would be okay again, but he was in my dreams too. Every time I closed my eyes he would be there, taunting me. _It's all your fault. You could've saved her. _But no matter what I prayed for or what my dreams said, Alana never came home. The cops never found her. They searched for the first few weeks, but then people lost interest in the case. And so they lost interest in finding Alana." And there they were. The tears came no matter what she tried to do to stop them.

"I—I don't know what to say, but I'm sorry, Kate. I was just trying to…" Tony blurted out.

"Help. Help right? That's what everyone is always trying to do. _Help._ But no one can help me and no one understands that. So you want to know why the perfect and wholesome Kate drinks? Because I feel disgusted with myself!" She got up and walked toward the window. Tony followed her to try and calm her down, but she pushed him away. "I let them take her. I could've done something. I should have…" Tony grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. Kate finally broke down. The feelings she had been holding for so long finally just spilled out. And he just stood there holding her. Tony felt totally helpless. What could he say to her? Do for her? Would anything actually make up for how insensitive he had been? Kate was right; he was a jerk.

"Kate, this may mean nothing to you, and you may have heard this before; this is _not_ your fault. I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but you have to believe it." Through her sobs Kate was able to speak.

"We have to find her, Amy. I can't let another girl suffer, another set of parents not no what happened to their child. Tell me we will find her." He paused for a minute before answering.

"We're going to find her. I promise." It was a huge promise to make, but he knew that he could keep it. Tony would never stop searching as long as Amy Collins was still out there.

The time seemed to pass slowly, like Tony had been holding her forever. Kate had the urge to push away from him ashamed of breaking down like that in front of her partner, but sometimes she needed someone to lean on. Tony just happened to be that someone. About a minute later Kate finally looked up. They stared into each others' eyes. Without warning she hopped up slightly and kissed him right on the lips. He was shocked at first, not sure what to do, but he soon found himself kissing her back. Tony wrapped his arms around Kate tighter and the kiss intensified. The two carried on over to the bed. Kate fell on it, still kissing her partner. She wasn't thinking; she was just doing. But Tony was thinking, and for the first time it wasn't about sleeping with the woman now underneath him. He now wanted to protect her, and he knew this wasn't right.

Tony all of a sudden broke the kiss leaving Kate confused and rejected. She wanted to rekindle it, but Tony stopped her.

"This isn't right. You don't want to do this Kate."

"Yes I do. Now stop talking." She tried to kiss him again but he moved from on top of her to beside her on the bed.

"Kate, if you were in your right mind now you wouldn't be doing this, and you know that. You're upset and slightly drunk. Get some sleep. We will need to be refreshed tomorrow and having a hangover will not help us solve this case." The mere mention of the case brought Kate back to reality. She nodded not wanting to speak and embarrass herself anymore. Barely wanting to move, Kate moved up the bed and tucked herself in to the bed. She was extremely exhausted, so falling asleep wasn't hard. Tony shut the light off near the bed and looked down at her. All of a sudden something changed. Tony didn't just look at Kate as his partner anymore, but as someone he could be with. That thought scared him, but overall it actually excited him. Of course, he didn't know if Kate would share the same feeling he now had. But he hoped he just wasn't another way for her to kill the pain.

**_REVIEW PLEASE! I really need to know your thoughts on this chapter. Disappointed? Liked it? LOVED IT! Just please let me know. I thrive on approval. And also, this is nowhere near the end of this story...I already have some ideas in line for a sequel of some sort. So please leave comments, critiques, and suggestions. Love you guys! _**


	8. Author's Note

**_Author's Note: Hey guys! I have to say I am so sorry for not uploading anything in forever, and I probably won't be uploading anything for a while longer too. I've just been really busy lately, and I have so many things going on. And I'm in a show next weekend and I have finals and midterms this upcoming week, so it might be a while before another chapter is uploaded! But I won't forget about this story! I am going to finish it, it just may be a few weeks before that happens. I hope you guys won't forget about me either! So, set up a story alert for this, and please don't forget about it! :) I love all my readers! You guys are keeping me going! Thanks so much! -Sonya_**


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